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1st 50th Infantry Association

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    HONORS AND AWARDS

1. Association Honors and Awards Scheme
2. Association Founder
3. Life Members
4. Honors and Awards


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The 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Association Honors and Awards Program

The 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Association Honors and Awards Program was established as a way to publicly recognize the achievements of Association Members and others based upon service to the Association, service to Vietnam Veterans, service to the United States Military community, and/or other contributions worthy of note. In general, awards will be presented presented every two years at the Association Reunion: however, the Association may issue awards and/or honors at other times when circumstances warrant.


Association Founder, Ken Riley

In recognition of his extraordinary effort in forming the Association and seeing it through its formative years, often single-handedly, organizing reunions and helping so many of us in many ways, Kenneth G. Riley has been bestowed with the lifelong title of Chairman Emeritus of the 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry Association. Ken's vision, dedication, hard work and personal sacrifice are consistent with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself, the Association and the battalion.

Ken was an original boat person, arriving in Vietnam with the battalion aboard the USS General Pope on 21 September 1967 to begin his year-long tour of duty as an infantryman with Charlie Company.

Thanks, Ken, for showing us through your actions how to "play the game".


Kenneth G. Riley
Chairman Emeritus


Life Members

Following is a list of Life Members in the Association of the 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry.

NAME MEMBER #

DATE AWARDED

  NAME MEMBER #

DATE AWARDED

John Albertson*

305

June 28, 2003

Larry Lewis

7 October 4, 2010

Noel Allen

203

June 4, 2008

Thomas E. Lewis

401

May 16, 2012

Herman Allmendinger

148

April 18, 2003

Fred Lohman

63

March 23, 2000

Dennis Apana

316

December 1, 2007

Francis B. Lynch

429

October 14, 2014

Edward Arispe*

164

April 29, 2002

William H. "Willie" Maklary

321

April 30, 2013

Charles R. Ball

360

May 1, 2009

Chuck McAleer

229

January 17, 2001

Franklin Baltazar

443

May 22, 2016

Michael J. McCardell

385

April 27, 2011

John Banales

325

March 8, 2005

Thomas D. McGovern

354

February 20, 2018

Frederick C. Bantle

382

February 22, 2011

Robert Melendez

245

February 27, 2015

Kevin Begley

171

June 23, 2001

Jesse D. Michael

428

May 26, 2014

George E. Bell*

359

March 10, 2009

Ernest J. Milito

394

November 1, 2011

George R. Bell

330

January 20, 2008

Gerald Miller

199

December 31, 2003

Richard Bell

461

September 19, 2023

Neil Miller

47

December 13, 2004

Anthony L. Benitez

361

August 5, 2009

Toby Milroy

109

July 20, 2002

Cheney Bertholf*

40

December 31, 2003

Billy L. Mims, Jr.

179

June 1, 2004

Bernard Biermann*

232

July 20, 2002

Kim Mitchell

310

January 1, 2004

Walter Billups

54

February 1, 2001

Joe Mlinac

105

February 22, 2001

Tom Blankenship

158

January 22, 2000

Matt Morrison*

81

January 24, 2000

Harry Bloomquist

70

April 20, 2000

Dan Neely

260

December 24, 2005

Dwaine Blumenstock

384

April 5, 2011

Thomas M. Nelson

411

May 1, 2013

George A. Borges*

225

March 1, 2004

Claude D. Newby

388

April 27, 2011

Steve W. Bower

387

April 27, 2011

Robert F. Newton

377

September 23, 2010

Bruce Braun

79

December 31, 2003

Glen L. Nicholls

329

February 23, 2006

Wilber Breseman*

175

December 5, 1999

John Nichols*

195

January 22, 2000

John Brodigan*

209

December 21, 2002

John Noble

67

April 7, 2001

Marvin L. Brophy*

393

October 28, 2011

Nate Nordin

161

December 31, 2003

Thomas Brown

352

June 4, 2008

Robert M. O'Connor

317

April 24, 2004

Paul Buckholdt

292

April 18, 2003

Robert Odendahl

374

August 12, 2010

Roger Burch

60

June 26, 2000

Dan Odom*

206

April 6, 2002

Francis B. Burns

322

May 7, 2005

Chuck Ogle

415

May 1, 2013

James F. Bustin

448

May 2, 2017

Steve Oliphant*

238

February 13, 2002

Talmadge M. Cain

235

May 16, 2012

CLifford M. Olson

441

November 10, 2015

Colonel Greg Camp

363

August 5, 2009

William Page

268

August 6, 2001

John Carlson

3

December 31, 2003

George C. Paine, III

314

April 6, 2012

Michael Canavan

72

March 12, 2006

David Parker

168

December 31, 2003

Matt Chapman

4

April 19, 2002

Bill Parkerson

345

August 18, 2007

William B. Cheney, III

454

February 18, 2020

John Parkinson

390

August 22, 2012

Mike Chisam

271

October 2, 2001

Gary Parks*

97

October 16, 2000

Thomas Clark*

270

April 18, 2003

David Payne

140

April 24, 2000

Ronald Clements

43

October 10, 2001

William Payne

300

April 18, 2003

Jerry L. Cooper

338

April 7, 2007

Parker Pierce

98

December 31, 2003

Jimmy W. Copeland

269

January 15, 2009

Thurman Pike*

155

April 18, 2003

Jay C. Copley*

343

May 17, 2007

Norman Poage*

29

July 17, 2000

Michael Craney

282

March 30, 2002

Otis Ponds

218

April 18, 2003

George Crist

295

December 31, 2003

Sandy Pottinger*

124

February 9, 1998

James R. Croker

147

February 1, 2004

Duane M. Quello

372

May 24, 2010

Jaime Cruz

336

February 5, 2007

Bobby Quick

342

May 17, 2007

Tim Culbertson

64

March 15, 2005

Gary Quint

83

August 5, 2009

Lawrence Curtis

239

September 2, 2002

Wilber Rahiser*

258

March 15, 2005

Justin E. Daubert

455

April 17, 2020

Don Rainwater

61

January 22, 2000

Ronald Davison

138

February 1, 2004

Katie Ramey

459

March 10, 2023

C. William Dean

191

March 1, 2004

Craig Reed

410

May 1, 2013

James Delemeester

11

October 2, 2001

John Rhatigan

121

January 17, 2000

Theodore H. Dennis

326

October 25, 2005

Peter Richardson

337

April 7, 2007

Stephen K. Dennis*

356

January 7, 2009

John W. Ricker

398

March 24, 2012

Larry Dossey

129

March 18, 1998

Ken Riley

5

October 17, 1999

Elliott Dresher

55

December 10, 2001

Joe Rinaldi

101

December 31, 2003

Dennis Driscol

234

December 31, 2003

Warren Franklin Rockey*

90

January 24, 2000

Marshall Duer*

243

April 29, 2002

Ventura Rodriguez

253

October 10, 2003

Joseph Dulany

216

August 14, 2000

Frank Romano

247

March 12, 2001

Henry M. Dunn

370

February 21, 2010

Richard L. Roschy

344

May 17, 2007

James Edwards

133

September 20, 2001

William Roskilly

038

July 6, 2008

Paul Ehrlich*

220

August 20, 2001

Russ Roth

125

January 15, 2004

Robert A. Elkowitz, Jr.

426

November 20, 2014

Guadalupe  "Lupe" Saenz

379

December 30, 2010

Gary Epperson

183

January 19, 2001

Ray Sarlin

150

March 30, 2000

Stephen Escott

36

December 31, 2003

Bob Schaller *

107

September 16, 2000

Gordon Fennell

296

April 18, 2003

David Schillaci

185

April 24, 2000

Edward Fischer

236

December 31, 2003

Dan Schlecht

283

December 31, 2003

James E. Fitzgerald*

59

April 1, 2005

Donald L. Schmidt

449

May 18, 2017

Eugene Foppe

39

November 29, 2001

Edmund Scott

151

May 24, 2003

Louis Frisbie*

14

March 26, 2001

Richard E. Scott

389

April 27, 2011

Aaron Gage*

244

December 31, 2003

James Segars

145

January 25, 2000

Vilnis Gailitis

222

January 15, 2004

Steven Seid

421

October 23, 2014

Leon S. Gallant

12

March 15, 2005

James H. Sheppard

137

May 7, 2002

Luciano M. Garza

350

March 13, 2008

Lawrence E. Shipp

438

April 9, 2015

Terry P Gauthier

416

May 1, 2013

Seth Sindel*

126

May 16, 2019

Joseph Gelarden*

71

December 31, 2003

James Slattery

334

August 26, 2006

Walter V. Gilbreath, Jr.*

289

March 15, 2005

Albert C. Smith

24

July 22, 2014

Robert Gold*

134

March 28, 2001

Bradley Smith

324

April 12, 2005

Terry A. Goodwin

27

May 18, 2011

Dennis Smith

362

August 5, 2009

Gerald E. Gossett

440

November 5, 2015

John   D. Smith

227

December 31, 2003

William R Groebler*

425

September 13, 2014

Randolph J. "Randy" Smith, III*

166

November 12, 2000

Gladys Grubb

45

October 6, 2002

Randolph J. "RJ" Smith, IV

451

September 30, 2017

Dick Guthrie

89

December 20, 2000

Richard Smittle

141

January 26, 2000

David Haag

6

December 31, 2003

Darrell Sourwine

110

March 31, 2000

Toby Hamon*

135

April 23, 2000

Darwin "Scotty" Stamper

349

February 7, 2008

Billy F. Hampton

355

November 26, 2012

William J. Stovall

414

May 1, 2013

Harley D. Harless*

399

May 26, 2012

Richard Tande

85

December 31, 2003

Curtis Harper

248

April 27, 2011

Jonathan W.  Taylor

375

September 1, 2010

Michael D. Hastings

386

April 27, 2011

Jon Thelen

8

December 14, 1999

Marion R Hay

62

January 1, 2004

Brian Thomas

120

April 15, 2000

Billy Hayes*

88

January 27, 2000

Thomas Tierney

250

August 23, 2019

Harley Mick Hawkins

208

June 18, 2007

James A. Tilley, III

364

August 5, 2009

Donald Hoag

307

December 31, 2003

Charles Tilton

323

April 1, 2005

Carl Hollnagel

378

November 20, 2010

John   Topper

78

February 23, 2000

Richard Hooker*

280

April 29, 2002

Joe Torres*

213

July 12, 2000

Russell Hope

84

April 22, 2000

Pedro Tovar

205

January 15, 2004

John Hopp*

82

February 23, 2000

Walter Tracey

57

May 10, 2002

Johnnie Hughes

348

January 29, 2008

Mel Valasek*

113

August 24, 2002

Paul G. Humphreys

340

May 15, 2007

John Vanden Heuvel*

103

February 4, 2000

Tim Hurley

194

October 11, 1999

Richard J. "Dick" Vanderloop

397

 March 25, 2012

Roger C, Irvin

223

June, 2003

Jack Vann

42

December 31, 2003

Edward A. Jackson

435

May 13, 2015

Melvin Wadleigh

73

March 7, 2000

Marvin L. James

462

May 13, 2015

Stan Walulek

100

December 16, 2000

William C. Jefferson

436

April 16, 2015

Joseph Whitehorne

116

December 31, 2003

Earl M. Johnson

450

June 13, 2017

Philip D. Whittington

432

April 29, 2015

John W. Johnson*

303

March 12, 2010

Louis C. Wickham

444

August 22, 2016

Johnny Johnston*

99

December 31, 2003

W. R. "Tennessee" Williams

369

January 19, 2010

Thomas A. Jones

447

March 3, 2017

Pat Willson

402

July 6, 2012

Toby Jordan

87

January 27, 2000

Harry Wilson

160

November 18, 1999

William A. Kahmann

431

April 29, 2015

Richard C. Wilson

353

October 24, 2014

Peter F. Kane

439

August 31, 2015

Gary M. Wolff*

339

April 30, 2015

Michael Kauffman

341

May 15, 2007

James Wonsick*

119

January 14, 2000

Julian T. Kemper

360

April 20, 2023

James Woodall

202

January 16, 2001

Jack R. King*

306

June 1, 2004

Curtis J. Woods, Sr

412

May 1, 2013

David G.  Knechtel

50

 

Walter S. Wroblewski*

026

December 20, 2008

Tom Knepp

48

October 1, 2009

Robert Wuestenberg

319

March 27, 2008

Robert Knightly

261

May 27, 2001

Duane E. Yarbrough

413

May 23, 2013

Keith G. LaRue*

408 February 13, 2013

Joseph Zimmerman

311

January 23, 2004

Ron Leraas 304 July 14, 2003      
Christopher Lewis 446 May 4, 2017      
      * Indicates Member is Deceased    

Association Honors and Awards



Throughout the Association's history, appropriate honors are developed and presented on an individual basis at our bi-annual reunions. Our Association has a rich history of providing quality gifts and awards of lasting value.

This news article (right) from the "Fort Benning Bayonet" of 2 May 2003 shows the presentation of the bronze statue "A Tribute to a Fallen Comrade" by Wyoming artist Ben Foster to our Reunion 2003 hosts, the modern-day 1st Battalion, 50th Infantry. In addition, the Association presented statuettes to outstanding graduate and DS of the 1/50 OSUT (BCT + AIT), a signed original print of Lee Teters' painting "Reflections", a World War I photograph of the assembled 50th Infantry, and several Brunton's "Gentleman's Compasses".

The Association also has a Certificate of Appreciation available for presentation to those individuals or organizations who make a significant contribution to the welfare or services of our Association or our Members or to Vietnam Veterans and/or their families.

Any Member in good standing in the Association may make a nomination for the Certificate of Appreciation in writing to the President of the Association.

Award of the Certificate of Appreciation requires the formal approval of all elected Officers of the Association. The President shall arrange for a suitable presentation of each Certificate of Appreciation, and all awards shall be posted in the newsletter and on the website.


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